May Huge Ten commissioner Kevin Warren be heading again to the NFL?
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Thursday that Warren is a “sturdy candidate” to be the following president/CEO of the Chicago Bears. Warren is likely one of the finalists for the place and has even interviewed in particular person, in accordance with Thamel. The search is anticipated to wrap up in a matter of weeks.
Earlier than being named commissioner of the Huge Ten in June 2019, Warren was a longtime govt for the Minnesota Vikings who labored his approach as much as chief working officer by the top of his almost 15-year tenure with the franchise. He additionally frolicked working for the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions, courting again to the late 1990’s, and has greater than 20 years of NFL expertise.
Warren then succeeded longtime Huge Ten commissioner Jim Delany and has had an eventful and infrequently bumpy three years on the job. He formally took over for Delany in January 2020, simply months forward of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Warren confronted widespread criticism for the way in which the convention dealt with the pandemic, together with canceling the soccer season earlier than reversing course solely a month later.
Afterward, the Big Ten added USC and UCLA and likewise landed a $7 billion television deal underneath Warren’s watch.
Why would Kevin Warren depart Huge Ten for NFL?
So why would Warren mull a return to the NFL? May he merely simply desire life in skilled sports activities after a tumultuous stint in faculty athletics?
Or are there different causes? Thamel pointed to Warren’s contract and ongoing growth efforts not materializing:
Warren has publicly pushed for extra growth for the Huge Ten, however that has been met internally with resistance. And for the close to future, the Huge Ten might be a 16-team league that stretches from New Jersey to Los Angeles.
Warren started with the Huge Ten in June 2019, turning into the primary African American commissioner of a Energy 5 convention. He has not been given a contract extension since coming aboard, and the size of his deal and any talks of an upcoming deal haven’t been mentioned publicly by the league.
The Bears’ seek for a brand new president started after longtime president Ted Phillips introduced his retirement in September.
The Huge Ten, in the meantime, has two groups within the School Soccer Playoff — No. 2 Michigan and No. 4 Ohio State. Michigan is scheduled to face No. 3 TCU within the Fiesta Bowl and Ohio State will sq. off with No. 1 Georgia within the Peach Bowl.
Apparently, Warren is just not scheduled to attend both sport, per Thamel.
